NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE

July 30, 2019

Carmine Di Sibio
Chairman and CEO
Ernst & Young- EY
Five Times Square
New York NY 10036

Dear Chairman Di Sibio,

We write to express our disappointment with the efforts by Ernst & Young to deny your former
partner, Karen Ward, a reasonable opportunity to have her claims of sexual harassment and
gender discrimination heard in a court of law. By limiting her recourse to forced arbitration at a
personal cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars, you are effectively silencing her and sending
a message to your other employees that their claims will not be given a fair hearing and that they
will have to pay exorbitant costs to simply have their claims heard. This case is a particularly
egregious example of the abuses that led New York State to pass legislation banning such forced
arbitration agreements in cases of harassment and discrimination in the first place.

New York State is not alone in rejecting forced arbitration in cases of harassment. The private
sector has also recognized that these requirements are vestiges of a past where sexual
misconduct in the workplace was tolerated or ignored. Companies such as Microsoft, Uber,
Google, Facebook, Lyft, Slack, Airbnb, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Sidley Austin,
Kirkland & Ellis, and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP have voluntarily dropped mandatory
arbitration requirements. It is disturbing that Ernst & Young is unwilling to recognize the negative
impact arbitration requirements have on the ability of workers to get a fair hearing and the
chilling effect these agreements can have on reporting.

While the problems with forced arbitration are clear, the facts in this case are even more
troubling. Ernst & Young has insisted that Ms. Ward pay half the costs of arbitration, which have
already added up to $185,000 with the case still in the discovery phase. If she had been permitted
to file in court, she would have only had to pay $450 in court costs to have her case heard. It is
obvious to us that requiring claimants to pay such exorbitant costs is a major obstacle to justice
for victims of harassment.
Ernst & Young ostensibly created the “Women. Fast Forward” program to “highlight [y]our own
commitment to the advancement of women in the workplace” and to “offer leadership and
guidance as [you] call upon others to put gender on their agenda.” However, Ernst & Young
cannot be a leader on gender equality while it is so far behind the curve in addressing workplace
harassment and continues to place barriers in the way of victims who are merely seeking a fair
chance at justice.

We urge Ernst & Young to reconsider its outdated approach to addressing gender inequity and
show that it is committed to providing all employees with a harassment-free workplace by
ensuring they have access to our justice system to address discrimination claims. Ernst & Young’s
current policy of outrageously expensive, binding arbitration imposes impossible burdens on
those who seek relief. It is time for Ernst & Young to move beyond lip service and make the
systemic changes necessary to truly be a leader in addressing inequality in the workplace.

Sincerely,

Liz Krueger Aravella Simotas

Senator, District 28 Assembly Member, District 36

Jo Anne Simon Alessandra Biaggi

Assembly Member, District 52 Senator, District 34

Didi Barrett Michael A. Blake

Assembly Member, District 106 Assembly Member, District 79

John E. Brooks Patrick B. Burke

Senator, District 8 Assembly Member, District 142

Marcus Crespo Catalina Cruz

Assembly Member, District 85 Assembly Member, District 39

Steven Cymbrowitz Maritza Davila

Assembly Member, District 45 Assembly Member District 53
Carmen De La Rosa Michael DenDekker
Assembly Member District 72 Assembly Member, District 34

Eric Martin Dilan Jeffrey Dinowitz

Assembly Member, District 54 Assembly Member, District 81

Steve Englebright Harvey Epstein

Assembly Member, District 4 Assembly Member, District 74

Pat Fahey Nathalia Fernandez

Assembly Member, District 109 Assembly Member, District 80

Mathylde Frontus Sandy Galef

Assembly Member, District 46 Assembly Member, District 95

James Gaughran Joseph M. Giglio

Senator, District 5 Assembly Member, District 148

Deborah J. Glick Andrew Gounardes

Assembly Member, District 66 Senator, District 22

Judy Griffin Brad Hoylman

Assembly Member, District 21 Senator, District 27
Jonathan G. Jacobson Charles D. Lavine
Assembly Member, District 104 Assembly Member, District 13

Joseph R. Lentol Barbara S. Lifton

Assembly Member, District 50 Assembly Member, District 125

John Liu Rachel May

Senator, District 11 Senator, District 53

Shelley B. Mayer Jen Metzger

Senator, District 37 Senator, District 42

Angelo J. Morinello Walter T. Mosley

Assembly Member, District 145 Assembly Member, District 57

Zellnor Myrie Catherine Nolan

Senator, District 20 Assembly Member, District 37

Felix W. Ortiz Steven Otis

Assembly Member, District 51 Assembly Member, District 91

Anthony Palumbo Kevin Parker

Assembly Member, District 2 Senator, District 21st District

Amy R. Paulin N. Nick Perry

Assembly Member, District 88 Assembly Member District 58
Victor Pichardo Dan Quart
Assembly Member District 86 Assembly Member District 73

Edward Ra Jessica Ramos

Assembly Member, District 19 Senator, District 13

Philip Ramos Karina Reyes

Assembly Member, District 6 Assembly Member, District 87

Gustavo Rivera Linda Rosenthal

Senator, District 33 Assembly Member, District 67

Nily Rozic James Sanders, Jr.

Assembly Member, District 25 Senator, District, 10

Nader J. Sayegh Rebecca A. Seawright

Assembly Member District 90 Assembly Member, District 76

Jose Serrano James Skoufis

Senator, District 29 Senator, District 39

Phillip G. Steck Albert Stirpe

Assembly Member, District 110 Assembly Member, District 127
Chris Tague Kevin Thomas
Assembly Member, District 102 Senator, District 6

David I. Weprin Carrie Woerner

Assembly Member, District 24 Assembly Member, District 113

Tremaine Wright
Assembly Member, District 56